While Beijing suggests that life in Tibetan areas, which were hit by a series of major protests in Mar 2008, is returning to normal, evidence suggests otherwise, reported BBC News online Jun 3. Security is tight, Tibetans face travel restrictions, and monks and nuns have been forced to attend re-education classes, it noted.

And while Chinese tourists are being allowed to visit the Himalayan region, not many are making the trip. Foreigners remain banned. It is difficult to get information about what is going on in Tibet Autonomous Region and nearby provinces that are home to large numbers of Tibetans. The report said the TAR’s foreign affairs office did not respond to a series of faxed questions from the BBC about the current situation. The same was the response from the region’s Public Security Bureau (the police).

The report noted that David Kramer, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, got a similar response when he visited China the week before. He had directly asked for an update on the latest developments in Tibet during his trip to discuss human rights issues with Chinese officials. “We did not get information on numbers [of people arrested],” he was quoted as having told journalists.